Resumo A região de Belém, no estado do Pará, localizada na região norte do Brasil e parte do bioma da Amazônia, é caracterizada por altas temperaturas, forte convecção, alta umidade e instabilidade atmosférica, favorecendo a formação de nuvens convectivas. As convecções rasa e profunda estão entre os componentes principais do balanço de energia local. A convecção profunda sobre os continentes é tipicamente precedida pela convecção rasa. Uma análise do desempenho das parametrizações para convecção rasa do Modelo de Coluna Única (MCU) do Laboratório de Propulsão à Jato / Administração Nacional Aeronáutica e Espacial (sigla em inglês JPL/NASA) em relação ao aglomerado de nuvens cúmulus formado na região costeira da Amazônia devido às linhas de instabilidade foi realizada. Para alcançar este propósito foram usadas imagens classificadas e dos canais infravermelhos 2 e 4 do satélite GOES-12 e dados obtidos na campanha CHUVA “Cloud processes of tHe main precipitation systems in Brazil: A contribUtion to cloud resolVing modeling and to the GPM (GlobAl Precipitation Measurement)”, durante o mês de junho de 2011. Durante aquele período, aglomerados de nuvens cúmulus penetram o interior da Amazônia, causando chuvas fortes. Resultados demonstraram que as parametrizações apresentaram bom desempenho para o caso onde somente um núcleo de nuvens foi observado, tal como o ocorrido em 14 de junho às 18:00h. Este período do dia apresentou os menores valores de viés e erro médio quadrático (EMQ) para a umidade relativa do ar. Para a temperatura potencial, o menor valor de viés foi às 12:00h do dia 7 de junho (0,18 K), o maior valor foi em 11 de junho (-2,32 K) e o EMQ variou de 0,59 à 2,99 K.

Abstract The Belem region of the state of Para, which is located in northern of Brazil and part of the Amazon biome is characterized by high temperatures, strong convection, unstable air conditions and high humidity favoring the formation of convective clouds. Shallow convection and deep convection are among the main components of the local energy balance. Typically a deep convection over the continents is preceded by a shallow convection. An analysis of the performance of the Jet Propulsion Laboratory / National Aeronautics and Space Administration (JPL/NASA) model of shallow convection parameterization in a framework of the single column model (SCM), in relation to the cluster of cumulus clouds formed in the coastal region of the Amazon forest due to squall lines, is provided. To achieve this purpose enhanced satellite images and infrared images from channels 2 and 4 from the GOES-12 satellite, and data obtained by the “Cloud processes of tHe main precipitation systems in Brazil: A contribUtion to cloud resolVing modeling and to the GPM (GlobAl Precipitation Measurement)” - CHUVA - campaign, during the month of June of 2011, were used. During that period, clusters of cumulus clouds penetrated the interior of the Amazon, causing heavy rains. Results demonstrated that the parameterizations performed well in the case where only a core of clouds was observed, such as at 18:00h on 14 June. This period of the day also presents the smallest bias and root mean square error (rmse) values for the relative humidity. For the potential temperature the smallest value of bias is at 12:00h on June 7th (0.18 K), the largest one is on June 11th (-2.32 K) and the rmse ranges from 0.59 to 2.99 K.

RESUMO A umidade do solo constitui-se num dos fatores principais para o estudo da seca, do clima e da vegetação. No caso da seca, esta é um fenômeno regional e afeta a segurança alimentar mais do que qualquer outro desastre natural. Atualmente, o monitoramento dos diversos tipos de seca é feito com base em índices que os padronizam em escala temporal e regional permitindo, com isso, a comparação das condições hídricas de diferentes áreas. Assim sendo, a fim de avaliar o impacto da umidade do solo durante os períodos de seca, o Índice de Severidade de Seca de Palmer foi estimado para toda a região do território brasileiro durante o período de 2000 a 2015, os quais incluem períodos com ocorrência de seca. Para isto foram utilizadas informações meteorológicas e pedológicas extraídas do modelo de balanço hídrico. A fim de avaliar as projeções de secas futuras, considerando o conjunto de dados de precipitação e de umidade do solo do Coupled Model Intercomparison Project Phase 5 (CMIP5) para o período de 2071-2100. Os resultados mostraram que o Índice de Seca de Palmer está diretamente associado aos padrões climatológicos de precipitação e de umidade do solo, em qualquer escala espacial e temporal (incluindo as projeções futuras). Assim sendo, conclui-se que este índice constitui de uma ferramenta importante para avaliar a umidade do solo em diferentes condições hídricas, bem como para a associação com informações econômicas e sociais para gerar mapas de riscos para subsídios aos tomadores de decisão.

ABSTRACT Soil moisture is a main factor for the study of drought impacts on vegetation. Drought is a regional phenomenon and affects the food security more than any other natural disaster. Currently, the monitoring of different types of drought is based on indexes that standardize in temporal and regional level allowing, thus, comparison of water conditions in different areas. Therefore, in order to assess the impact of soil moisture during periods of drought, drought Palmer Severity Index was estimated for the entire region of the territory. For this were used meteorological data (rainfall and evapotranspiration) and soil (field capacity, permanent wilting point and water storage in the soil). The data field capacity and wilting point were obtained from the physical properties of soil; while the water storage in soil was calculated considering the water balance model. The results of the PSDI were evaluated during the years 2000 to 2015, which correspond to periods with and without occurrence of drought. In order to assess the future drought projections, considering the set of the Coupled Model Intercomparison rainfall data Project Phase 5 (CMIP5). Climate projections precipitation in CMIP5 for the period 2071-2100 was extracted generating entitled forcing scenarios Representative Concentration Pathways - RCPs, and referred to as RCOP 8.5, corresponding to an approximate radiative forcing the end the twenty-first century of 8.5 Wm-2. The results showed that the PDSI is directly associated with climatological patterns of precipitation and soil moisture in any spatial and temporal scale (including future projections). Therefore, it is concluded that the PDSI is an important index to assess soil moisture different water conditions, as well as the association with economic and social information to create risk maps for subsidies to decision makers.

ABSTRACT: This article presents a study of three different passive devices (spires, screens, and a carpet) separately and in various combinations, to simulate the atmospheric boundary layer (ABL) in a wind tunnel with a short test chamber (465×465x1200mm). The influence of distances between these devices on the formation of the ABL is established, and optimization of variation of thicknesses of the screens (thin, medium, and coarse) on pressure loss is explored. The results obtained in this work gave support for the analysis of the atmospheric flow and turbulence at Alcantara Launching Center (ALC) in order to launch Brazilian space vehicles under safe conditions. The results show that the “spires” and the thin screen are the devices that require the least area to form an ABL in a test chamber. The physical proximity of two devices (the spires and the medium screen) also influences the size of the ABL formed, which varies from 180 to 200 mm. The power law exponent ranged from 0.12 up to 0.14 after the insertion of a carpet.

Abstract: Alcântara Space Center (ASC) is the Brazilian gate to the space where rockets of different sizes are launched. At ASC there is a relative topographical variation, coastal cliff, which modifies the atmospheric boundary layer characteristics and can cause interference for operations of rockets. In the present work, a simplified model (mock-up) was studied in a wind tunnel. A scale factor of 1:1000 was used and the atmospheric flow was measured using the hot wire anemometer (HWA) and particle image velocimetry (PIV) techniques. Using of HWA it was possible to calculate values of average wind speed and fluctuations in a set of points of the section of tests that representing the region of the ASC. Through these measures, other meteorological parameters that represent the atmospheric flow, such as the friction velocity (u*), the roughness length (z0) from the logarithmic profile and the alpha exponent (a) of the power law were calculated. With the use of the PIV´s technique, the streamlines and the vorticity fields were obtained and it was noticed that the vorticity generated downwind of the coastal cliff has a strong turbulence (vorticities around 2000 s-1). A rectangular building (simulating the mobile integration tower) was inserted at the mock-up and the downwind turbulence was similar to the one generated by the coastal cliff.